Héctor Bellerín, the Arsenal and Spain defender, has challenged fellow football professionals to speak out against the abortion bill passed this week in Alabama, in the US, which would make it a crime to perform a termination at any stage of pregnancy, even in cases of rape and incest.
Bellerín, 24, tweeted: “I wanted to see if anyone from our industry would speak out about the abortion bill, but I guess people are too scared. This isn’t just an issue for women, it’s one for every human being. We fight for equality and this is something men should fight for and not hide away from.”
The footballer was widely praised on social media, with the former player Ian Wright posting a gif on Twitter indicating his support.
— Ian Wright (@IanWright0) May 18, 2019
The BBC Radio 6 Music DJ Gideon Coe said, while he supported Arsenal’s great rival Tottenham, some issues transcended football: “Bravo. I’m Spurs but that matters little compared to this,” he tweeted.
The LGBT activist Jack D said on Twitter: “Absolutely thrilled to see a footballer using their platform to send a positive political message. Good on you!!! Now if only we could get more of this to support players coming out too. Solidarity.”
Other US states have followed the lead of the Alabama state senate, which passed a bill on Monday which would make abortion a crime at any stage of pregnancy, with doctors facing up to 99 years in prison if they perform the procedure.
The abortion ban is the strictest in the US, and allows an exception only when the woman’s health is at serious risk.
Missouri lawmakers approved legislation on Friday banning abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy, which had already been approved by the state senate. The bill now heads to Missouri’s Republican governor, Mike Parson, who is expected to sign it off.
The state joins Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia, which have all passed bills to ban abortion after six weeks, the point at which a heart beat can be detected.
The bans violate federal rulings which have legalised the procedure nationwide. Pro-choice groups, which are mobilising across the country to combat the laws, aim to challenge them at the supreme court via the landmark Roe vs Wade ruling that guaranteed a woman’s right to have an abortion.
The court is perceived to have shifted to the religious right under Donald Trump.
